cosmicrey

Update: got the OGS from uOttawa. Have 30 days to reply so luckily no rush. Still waiting on another uni. Best of luck to everyone else!

I've always heard that not doing your master's at the same uni as your undergrad is a plus, especially in academia. So that leaves Toronto and Edinburgh. My advice is to always go for the one that will most push you most towards new experiences and personal growth. imo studying in the UK will show you've been able to succeed in a different type of education system abroad, Edinburgh is fantastic, and the uni is obviously very prestigious internationally. I don't think you can go wrong with either of those two options, but Edinburgh is the capital of literature, so makes sense to me for an English program. Good luck with your decision!

Got accepted to uOttawa for MSc Environmental Sustainability with some funding, but now waiting to hear about OGS. Surprised the decision came so early tbh. Best of luck to everyone still waiting!

Ah yes, thank you, more waiting then... could you pls tell me how much time after your admission offer did you wait to hear about the OGS?

I applied to uOttawa for an OGS... I know it varies by department, but I'm wondering if that's a decision they'd send out with the admission offer / funding package or if it's entirely separate? (Edit: I have not yet been accepted)

I was accepted to CEU last year for a different program (MSc) and re-applied this year. I rejected last year simply because this year I decided to take up a funded master's at Oxbridge in a different subject but now re-applied because I still want to do that MSc program. I've always heard excellent things about CEU but this year decided to seek direct advice from my Oxbridge professors who have had nothing but very positive things to say about CEU. All of them especially noted the international reputation of CEU, given the top calibre academics and researchers it is able to attract. CEU recently got placed in the top 100 unis in the world in a bunch of subject rankings (the uni isn't present in the overall ranking bc it doesn't have undergraduate programs) - I did a quick search and it was between 51-100 for social policy & administration in the world. Other pros: super international, their diplomas are also accredited in the U.S., Budapest is amazing, and their funding is incredibly generous Also, a few days ago CEU got officially re-accredited by the Hungarian government, so not too worried about that. Best of luck with your application and please feel free to message me if you have any other questions!

Hi! I can speak specifically to doing an MPhil at Oxbridge but not to American PhDs. I'm currently doing an MPhil in IR at Oxbridge, and based on your specific research interests, Cambridge especially sounds like a great fit for you in terms of coursework but Oxford is slightly better with social sciences and has a more critical curriculum (I applied to and researched both programs carefully). Congratulations on being accepted and best of luck with all your other applications! Probably one of the best parts about doing an Oxbridge MPhil is that MPhils are considered to be between an MA and PhD (since they're so research intensive, even with mixed taught-research programs), so I believe it would definitely give you an advantage later when applying for PhDs. Another thing to consider (and I don't believe this is fair, but just the way it is and many people independently have confirmed this to me during my studies) is that having a master's from an Ivy League (the obvious ones in the US + Oxbridge) will give you a definite advantage when later applying for professorships, especially in academia that is already so competitive for jobs. I think it's always better to diversify your academic experience (i.e. undergrad from India, master's from the UK, PhD from the US). Another thing to consider is that in my experience grading is way harsher at Oxbridge (basically you only get distinction if your paper is publishable in peer review) HOWEVER I've often been told this is taken into consideration when applying to non-Oxbridge PhDs and will still give you the advantage over someone with a higher average but from a non-Oxbridge-level school. This is just my experience, and having said all of this I firmly believe you should make a decision based not only on what will get you to your eventual goal of PhD / teaching, but also on which program specifically is the right fit for you and where you think you'll be the happiest! Best of luck and please don't hesitate to message me if you have any other questions I can answer.

Hi! For the MSc Environmental Sustainability (uOttawa) I got accepted at the end of March in 2017. I reapplied this year with OGS but haven't heard from either. I also applied to the Central European University in Budapest for the MSc Environmental Sciences and Policy.